Ghanaians have been asked to keep their surroundings clean if the country is to make headway in its quest to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Overseas Commerce Ghana Limited, a logistics company, Mr Boaz Amiel, who made the call in Accra, said Ghana could not attain the SDG goals if insanitary practices are not stopped.

Citing SDGs 3, 6, 13 and 15, which deals with good health and wellbeing, clean water and sanitation, climate action and life on land, he said the goals would be achieved “if we put in the work.”

Mr Amiel was speaking to Ghanaian Times on the sidelines of a clean-up exercise at Tema Community 3 Site B, which was organised by the company in collaboration with Dzatabu Residents Association (Community 3).

The exercise formed part of the company’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme dubbed ‘Overseas Cares”.

Mr Amiel said, although the government was expected to play a lead role in promoting a clean environment, “the work starts with us, the citizens.”

He stressed that “it is only a healthy workforce that can transform this country to what it should be. If the environment is not clean, people will fall sick, productivity will be negatively impacted, and jobs will be lost. We cannot develop Ghana if that situation persists”.

In order to deepen support to the community, the CEO indicated that the company has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the community to fund various projects to improve living conditions beginning from 2019.

“As a company, we believe that collaborations are crucial for the advancement of communities. This community has accommodated our business for more than two years, it is only befitting that we engage them collaboratively by supporting community development through partnership. We do this because there is a bigger purpose for which we are all here. We believe we can do a little at a time, cause change and hopefully contribute meaningfully to the betterment of everyone around us,” Mr Amiel stated.

Executive Member of Dzatabu Residents Association, Bernard Owusu Bempah, said the community was grateful to the company for the partnership to address challenges, including poor road networks and inadequate streetlights.

He said although the residents regularly undertook clean-up activities, the involvement of the company has re-energised the community to intensify the programme to ensure safe and clean environment.